Camellia plant named ‘HA351’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Camellia  plant named ‘HA351’, characterized by its sturdy upright plant habit; rapid growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; leathery dark green-colored leaves; flowering during the summer, autumn and winter; large bright red-colored semi-double flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Camellia changii X Camellia japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HA351’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia plant, botanically known as Camellia changii X Camellia japonica, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HA351’.

The new Camellia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Zhaoqing, China. The objective of the breeding program is to create new fast-growing Camellia plants that flower year-round and tolerate full sunlight.

The new Camellia plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventors in October, 2006 in Zhaoqing, China of an unnamed seedling selection of Camellia changii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Camellia japonica ‘Bob Hope’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Camellia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Zhaoqing, China in September, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Camellia plant by grafting cuttings onto an unnamed selection of Camellia gaozhouensis, not patented, in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zhaoqing, China since has shown that the unique features of this new Camellia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Camellia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HA351’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HA351’ as anew and distinct cultivar of Camellia:

-   -   1. Sturdy upright plant habit.     -   2. Rapid growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Leathery dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Flowering during the summer, autumn and winter.     -   6. Large bright red-colored semi-double flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance, tolerant to full sunlight         conditions.

Plants of the new Camellia differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia are obovate in shape         whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection are         lanceolate in shape.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia have sparsely serrate         margins whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection         have entire margins.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Camellia are larger than flowers         of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Camellia differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Bob Hope’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia have sparsely serrate         margins whereas leaves of plants of ‘Bob Hope’ have densely         serrate margins.     -   2. Plants of the new Camellia and ‘Bob Hope’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘Bob Hope’ have purplish red-colored flowers.     -   3. Plants of the new Camellia flower multiple times during the         year whereas plants of plants of ‘Bob Hope’ flower once a year.

Plants of the new Camellia can be compared to the plants of Camellia ‘Terrell Weaver’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Camellia differ from plants of the ‘Terrell Weaver’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia have sparsely serrate         margins whereas leaves of plants of ‘Terrell Weaver’ have         densely serrate margins.     -   2. Plants of the new Camellia flower multiple times during the         year whereas plants of plants of ‘Terrell Weaver’ flower once a         year.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Camellia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Camellia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HA351’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet are close-up view of typical vegetive stems, developing flower buds and developing flowers of ‘HA351’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Zhaoqing, China in an outdoor nursery during the late autumn and under cultural practices typical of commercial Camellia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 22° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were five years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Camellia changii X Camellia japonica     ‘HA351’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Camellia changii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Camellia japonica ‘Bob Hope’, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By grafting cuttings onto a rootstock, an unnamed             selection of Camellia gaozhouensis, not patented.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months days at temperatures about 28° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two             months days at temperatures about 8° C. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;             sturdy upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; rapid             growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about two to three             primary lateral branches each with about three to four             secondary branches; dense and bushy appearance.         -   Plant height.—About 173 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 105 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 158 cm. Diameter:             About 7.2 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm to 5 cm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 20° to 30° from             vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte; woody             with development. Color, young stems: Close to 197B; at the             internodes, close to 149D. Color, older stems: Close to             199C.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 10.5 cm. Width: About 4.2 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Sparsely serrate. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Texture and luster, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; leathery; moderately glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to N199A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137A; venation, close to 143A; color does             not change with the seasons. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B; color does             not change with the seasons.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; moderately glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to             143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Semi-double rotate             flowers, flowers terminal and axillary; freely flowering             habit with usually about 62 flowers and flower buds             developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly to             nodding.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Camellia flower             during the summer, autumn and winter in Zhaoqing, China.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Plants maintain good flower             substance for about eight to ten days on the plant; flowers             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—Large, about 12 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 cm.             Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately glossy. Color: Close to 138C.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About 32 imbricate petals             arranged in numerous whorls. Length: About 5.8 cm. Width:             About 4 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate. Apex: Obcordate. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately glossy. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 46A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 46A; venation, close to 46A; color becoming closer to 73A             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 46A;             venation, close to 46A; color becoming closer to 47A with             development.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity and arrangement: About six at the center             of the flower. Length: About 6 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm.             Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obcordate. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire; moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 46A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 46B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             46C; venation, close to 46B; color becoming closer to 46A             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 46A;             venation, close to 46B; color becoming closer to 46C with             development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About six imbricate sepals             arranged in a shallow cup-shaped calyx. Length: About             1.6 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptical.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Rotund. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 145C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 144C. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Aspect:             About 25° to 35° from stem axis. Strength: Strong. Texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower:             About 352. Filament length: About 3.8 cm. Filament color:             Close to 38A. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther size: About 2 mm             by 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 17A. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 17A. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils             per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.4 cm. Style length:             About 2 cm. Style color: Close to 2C. Stigma color: Close to             2C. Ovary color: Close to 2B.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed production have not been             observed on plants of the new Camellia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Camellia have been observed     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, full     sunlight and temperatures ranging from about −10° C. to about 40° C. -   Disease & pest resistant: Plants of the new Camellia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Camellia     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Camellia plant named ‘HA351’ as illustrated and described. 